During E3 earlier this month, Nintendo unveiled a new trailer for one of its most storied franchises: The Legend of Zelda. Featuring a fresh-faced version of our hero Link, the trailer indicated a visual shift for the franchise. This wouldn’t be the first time Nintendo tweaked how Zelda looks, however. From the 8-bit simplicity of the series’ first installment to the cartoon-y playfulness of The Wind Waker, Link’s image has changed quite a bit. Check out our gallery of the various incarnations of Link we’ve seen throughout the franchise’s near 30 year history.
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The Legend of Zelda, NES (1987)
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, NES (1988)
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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, SNES (1991)
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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Game Boy (1993), Game Boy Color (1998)
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo 64 (1998)
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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Nintendo 64 (2000)
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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons, Game Boy Color (2001)
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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords, Game Boy Advance (2002)
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The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Nintendo Gamecube (2002)
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The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Nintendo Gamecube (2004)